The Tower Must Fall 1. To the Tower

Oppressively huge, the Tower stretched to infinity. The massive white structure climbed to the heavens and stood as wide as a city, so huge that Luka couldn’t see its borders. He stared up at it, his eyes wide.

So this… is where I’m going to spend the rest of his life.

Luka shifted, adjusting his clothes. He wore his father’s best suit, hemmed down to fit him. The warmth of his mother’s hands as she adjusted the way it sat still lingered on his shoulders. He remembered her smile, the crinkle at the corner of her eyes.

“There you go, Luka. Make us all proud. You’re a Hero now.”

His father had stood behind her, quiet. He nodded at Luka. “Be strong, boy.”

Luka nodded back. I am strong. I will be. I’ve been Chosen.

With one last smile, his mother had sent him off. “Let out the hems as you grow. I know it’s too big now, but you’re only twelve. If you treat it right, it should fit you for the rest of your life.”

“Yes, Mother,” he’d replied, barely able to meet her eyes.

Their waves as he rode off. The wagon, rattling under him. He’d watched until it rolled around the corner and he could see them no longer.

Tears welled up in his eyes at the memory. The last time I’ll ever see my parents…

No. I have to be strong! He wiped his eyes and sat up, sniffing hard. Luka nodded to himself. I’m a Chosen. One of the lucky ones who gets to enter the Tower! I can’t cry now!

Beside him, chains rattled. A filthy girl scowled at the Tower, her head propped on her fist. She shook her head. “Fuckin’ shit.”

“Don’t be like that. We’re Chosen Heroes,” Luka said.

“What? You want to go in there? No one ever comes out! We’re dead men,” the filthy girl informed him, scoffing.

Luka frowned. “It’s our duty to protect the world. It’s a noble task, one that—”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. We’re getting thrown into hell, and getting nothing from it,” the girl muttered. She shook her head. “You’re a naïve one, aren’t you? Where’d you grow up, on a farm?”

Blushing, Luka shook his head. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“So you did! Ha, farmboy. Come to think of it, you smell of hay,” the filthy girl said.

“And you smell like shit,” Luka returned, annoyed. She looks like she’s never seen a bath, let alone taken one, and she’s talking about me smelling?

The girl whistled. She laughed and shook her head. “Good one, good one. Ouch. What a zinger.”

“Shut up,” Luka growled.

She waved her hand. “We should get along. We’re both headed into that hellhole, after all. What’s your class?”

“Shouldn’t you ask my name?” Luka said.

“That, too,” the girl allowed. She looked at him, then sighed. “Alright, I’ll go first. Gianna, but call me Gia. I’m a Thief.”

“I could tell,” Luka said, eyeing her chains.

She rolled her eyes. “It’s my class, not… well, okay, I did do some thieving before they figured out I had got a System. But that’s neither here nor there! A girl’s gotta eat. I only stole a few apples, yeah? I wasn’t a thief by trade. Just sometimes had to do a bit of stealing, y’know?”

Luka snorted. That’s a long way to say you’re a thief. “Luka. And my class is…” He hesitated.

“Go on,” Gia said, nodding.

“It’s…” Luka glanced down. He whispered something.

“Oh, come on. I’m a criminal class. What’s worse than that?” she asked, shaking her head at him.

“I…”

“Out with it!” Gia demanded. She folded her legs up on the seat and slapped her thigh.

Luka glanced down. “S…servant.”

Gia threw back her head. “Servant? Your class is Servant? What does that even mean?”

“Shut up!” Luka huffed, frustrated. That’s why I didn’t want to tell you! I don’t know, either.

I thought… I thought classes were supposed to be amazing. Swordsman, Hero, Mage, Healer… even Thief makes more sense as a class than Servant. Luka scowled, twisting his lips.

“Servant. Hey, you want to be my servant? I could use a servant,” Gia said.

“Shut up. We don’t know what it’s like in the Tower. Maybe Servant is an awesome class,” Luka said.

“Yeah, yeah. And maybe Thieves are kings. Get in while the getting’s good and sign up to be my servant now! Once we get inside, I’ll have all kinds of people begging to be my servant,” Gia said, sitting upright, one hand on her knee.

“If Thieves are kings,” Luka returned.

“Well, but we won’t know until we’re inside, and it’ll be too late by then,” Gia said.

“What if Servants are kings?” Luka argued.

Gia laughed again, her head flying back. “Servants are kings? Why is your class called Servant, then? If you were kings, you’d be a King!”

Luka blushed all the way to his ears. “Shut up! Thieves being kings is just as ridiculous!”

The carriage rumbled to a stop. A heavy thump sounded from the wall, and a burly man hauled the carriage door open. He nodded at the children. “Get up. We’re here.”

Luka stood and moved to the door. Gia sat back, crossing her arms.

The burly man scowled. “You too.”

Gia rattled her chains. “I’m not going in there in iron! Unlock me, or I’m not getting out!”

“Aren’t you a Chosen? Use those precious skills of yours,” the man snarked.

“I don’t have any levels, yet. I can’t use Unlock. Do you think I would’ve sat here in chains the whole time if I could break out?” Gia replied crossly.

The man grunted. Gesturing for Luka to step out, he climbed up into the carriage. The old wooden frame groaned under his weight. He stomped over. Chains rattled, and then Gia popped out of the carriage at a run. “Fuck this!”

Luka jumped up and grabbed her arm. “Stop this behavior! We’re Chosen!”

“Shut up! The Tower’s a death trap, everyone knows that! I’m not going in. I’m not!” Gian shouted, wriggling in Luka’s grasp.

Latching on with both arms, Luka mustered all his wet-calf-holding skills and held her down. “No! It’s our duty!”

“Good goin’, kid,” the burly man said, climbing out of the carriage. He grabbed Gia by the arm. “You, stop struggling, or I’m putting the irons back on.”

Gia wiggled one last time, then went still. She sighed. “Alright, whatever. Fuck it. Can’t really go down from street urchin, huh?”

Her eyes fell on Luka, and she laughed. “Well, at least I’m not a naïve farmboy with the Servant class.”

Luka bared his teeth at her. “Shut up!”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get this over with,” the burly man said. He nodded at Luka. “Go and kneel before the Tower. You…” He looked at Gia. “…Just come with me.”

“I’ll be good. You can let me go. I’ll go kneel obediently,” Gia said, her eyes big and innocent.

Ignoring Gia, the man dragged her over to the Tower’s wall.

Luka followed him. The closer he got, the huger it seemed to be. It ate the horizon. As far as his eye could see, a huge white wall stretched in every direction. It blocked even the sky. Before Luka, the world ended, and all that remained was a wall of white.

“Right there, that’s close enough,” the man said.

Kneeling, Luka’s eyes fell to the place where the Tower met the earth. Grass grew up to the very edge, and there it ended. Nothing grew on the Tower itself. Although earth touched its side, not a single inch of its side was smudged with dirt. A shiver ran up Luka’s spine, and a single thought filled his mind: It doesn’t belong in this world.

The burly man cleared his throat. “By the grace of the gods above, you have been gifted with the power of the System. Go forth, and destroy the vile monsters within the Tower before they might escape to inflict death upon our glorious country.”

Gia wriggled furiously. “Let me go let me go—”

The man gave her a shake, but she only struggled harder. He grimaced. “For the light of… dammit, this girl is like an eel. Argh—oh, whatever!  By the glory of the King, go!”

He swung Gia at the wall. The second her skin touched it, she vanished.

Startled, Luka blinked at the man. “Where’d she go?”

“Inside. Now go on, touch the wall! Or do I have to kick you, too?” the burly man asked, stomping over.

“I’ll—I’ll go,” Luka said. He raised his hand.

At the last second, he hesitated. Looking over his shoulder, he licked his lips. My mom… dad… everyone. The farm. If I touch this wall, I leave all of that behind. Even if it’s my duty, my duty for my country and everyone, I—I can’t—

“Well, get on with it,” the man said. A sturdy kick caught him on the ass and threw him forward. Luka threw his hands up instinctively. They slammed into the smooth white wall.

Everything vanished. Luka tumbled through darkness. A light glittered in the distance, infinitely close and infinitely far. He blinked rapidly, his eyes whirling. What… where? I…

Color. Sound. The low roar of a busy market. Criers called out bargains. Footsteps clattered by. Luka smashed into cobblestones and rolled head-over-heels. Abruptly, he struck a set of legs. Rather than flying off, the person he struck stood over him, frowning faintly. His vision still spinning, Luka tried to scramble away, but only managed to wobble incoherently.

A hand landed on his shoulder. Another hand helped him up.

“O-oh. Thank you,” Luka murmured.

Discombobulated, he looked around. He stood in the middle of a town square—no, a city center. Beside him, Gia skulked into a corner, her eyes flashing warily. People passed them by, wandering in all directions. Mothers and their children. Young men courting young women. A man with a huge, bloody axe over one shoulder walked casually by, and no one even glanced his way. In the opposite direction, a beautiful woman fluttered through the air on translucent, pixie-like wings.

What… what is this? This… this is the Tower? This bustling city? It’s not a wasteland, full of monsters? Luka stared, his jaw dropped.

“Welcome!”

Luka wrenched his eyes away, looking at the boy who’d helped him up.

A brilliant smile. Shining eyes full of ambition. A handsome face and a wave of auburn hair. The boy before him wore a handsome suit tailored to fit him, jacket, vest, boyshorts and all. Behind him, an array of muscular men in equally well-fitted suits loomed, arms crossed, fierce expressions on their faces. Unaware of them, Nico looked Luka in the eyes. “Welcome to the Tower! I’m Nico Ambrosio. And you are?”

“L-Luka Corner. Servant,” Luka said, off-guard. A second later, he frowned at himself. Why did I give my class?

Nico’s eyes widened. He nodded. “Servant? Wonderful! Won’t you be my underling?”

“Don’t do it, Luka. The ones who welcome you first always have their own reasons!” Gia grumbled from the corner. She narrowed her eyes at Nico, her nostrils flaring.

“Don’t say that. You’re a Thief, aren’t you? Who’s going to employ you if not my family?” Nico asked, shaking his head.

Gia nodded, glowering darkly. “I thought so. You’re a mafioso!”

“A mafioso? I’m the mafioso. Nicolo Ambrosio, heir to the Ambrosio Familia. So, Luka, won’t you be my Servant?” Nico asked, shooting Luka a glittering smile once more.

“Uh, uh, I…” Luka swallowed. He looked around. “Uh, the, the monsters?”

Nico waved his hand. “Taken care of years ago. Monsters haven’t escaped the first floor in decades! But if you want, we can go questing together. Seek them out!”

“Seek out… monsters?” Luka said weakly.

“How else are we going to level if we don’t search for monsters?” Nico said, as if it were plain logic.

Luka reeled. I thought… they were a threat to the kingdom. That… a dangerous forest, full of monsters… maybe, but… this? A bustling city? He shook his head. “I… I can’t…”

“That’s alright. Take your time! Here, let’s go back to my place.” Nico snapped his fingers. The guards hustled around him and Luka.

Still off-balance, Luka followed. “O-okay.” What else am I supposed to do? I’m a farmboy. This is a city! I have no idea how to survive in a city. I’ve never even been to a big town before! And this… this is a city in the Tower. I don’t even know where to start. What’s happening? Is this really… can this truly be the Tower? The monster-spewing Tower we all fear?

Gia peered after Luka as the men escorted him off, then sighed. “Better him than me.” She scurried away, vanishing into the dark corners of the city.